BEEN TO THE MOVIES LATELY ?
09/10/2005
VENICE (Reuters) - Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain," a tale of homosexual love in the wilds of Wyoming, won Venice's Golden Lion on Saturday, beating film festival favorite George Clooney in the race to take the top prize.
The latest film by the director of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is adapted from a short story by Annie Proulx and stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as love-struck cowboys whose forbidden affair begins in 1963 and ends 20 years later.
Lee describes "Brokeback Mountain" as a story of love against adversity. Independent and low-budget, like several U.S. entries at the festival, it was filmed in Canada to save money.
Critics had predicted Clooney's black-and-white McCarthy-era tale of broadcasting courage, "Good Night. And, Good Luck," would win the Golden Lion, beating the 19 other films in the main competition.
Clooney, adored in Venice, did not go home empty-handed, winning an award for best screenplay while his star David Strathairn won the best actor prize for his intense portrayal of journalist Edward R. Murrow. |
